Temptation
Temptation is the seventh episode of [[Gargoyles (TV series)|Disney's Gargoyles]]. Plot Demona convinces Brooklyn that humans and gargoyles can never live together, and asks him to help her show Goliath the same. Summary Act One Inside an abandoned building, Lexington is working on a custom motorcycle with his brothers' help. Brooklyn and Broadway wait impatiently as Lex finishes up. When he does, Brooklyn punches holes into a helmet for his horns, wraps his wings around his body, and dons a leather jacket, eager to look the part of a biker, even if his head is hard enough. Brooklyn gets on the motorcycle, and puts on a pair of sunglasses to complete the look, and takes off joyriding. His brothers cheer him on, but then begin wondering when he'll be back to let them take a turn. Brooklyn is enjoying his joyride around the city, unaware of a shadowy winged figure following him overhead. He zooms past Officer Morgan and another cop in a police cruiser. Brooklyn is presumably going well over the speed limit as the cops turn their siren on and begin pursuit. Brooklyn sees them coming in his rear view mirror and escapes by driving into an alleyway and up a ramp formed by some trash, spreading his wings, and gliding over a wall, bike and all. Morgan believes the strange sight to be a hallucination brought about by eating too many doughnuts and both cops leave, agreeing that they haven't seen anything worth calling in. Now safe from the police pursuit, Brooklyn refolds his wings and spots some fellow bikers driving by. He drives up along side of them and they compliment him on his motorcycle. But when Brooklyn removes his helmet, the motorcycle gang calls him a "monster" and attacks him. Brooklyn fends them off until one of them pulls out a gun and points it at him. The shadowy figure that's been trailing Brooklyn swoops down and strikes the biker's arm with its tail. The stray bullet misses Brooklyn, but hits the bike, making it explode into flame. Enraged, Brooklyn takes on the biker gang, now joined by the mystery gargoyle. When the one biker pulls his gun again and starts firing, Brooklyn's unknown friend pulls him out of the line of fire and into a back alley. They climb up the side of a building to safety. Now out of bullets and the only one still conscious, the biker hops on his motorcycle and drives away, disappearing into the night. Brooklyn lands on a rooftop where he spots the mysterious gargoyle, still in shadow. He assumes it's one of his rookery brothers, namely Broadway or Lexington, but the figure steps forward and he sees that it was Demona who came to his rescue. Demona tries to calm Brooklyn, saying that she just wants to talk. Remembering his last encounter with her at the business end of a bazooka, Brooklyn doesn't want to hear it. Demona tells him that she was crazed with rage and fear from hundreds of years dealing with humans. Brooklyn is confused; he thought she had been asleep for a thousand years like the rest of them. She offers to tell him more and argues that saving his life should buy her at least a few minutes of his time. Brooklyn reluctantly agrees to hear her out. Back at Castle Wyvern, Broadway and Lexington are just returning. They join Goliath, Hudson and Bronx in the TV room. Goliath asks where Brooklyn is and Broadway replies that their brother is "out joyriding", a term Goliath doesn't quite comprehend; this prompts him to consult a dictionary about the term. Meanwhile, Demona asks Brooklyn what caused the biker gang to attack him. Brooklyn tells her their attack on him was simply unprovoked and Demona replies that all humans are like that. When he argues that Goliath says humans only need time to get used to gargoyles, she counters that gargoyles and humans coexisted a thousand years ago, but their clan was still slaughtered. She tells Brooklyn that her centuries of dealing with them have shown her how horrible humanity is and offers to educate him. He takes her hand and they soar off together into the night. Act Two Demona takes Brooklyn to a roof overlooking an alley where a woman is being mugged. The mugger runs away with the woman's purse as she screams for help from the police. Brooklyn moves to give chase, but Demona stops him, claiming to him that it's pointless; "human justice" will let him go back out on the streets in a day. She takes Brooklyn to a family home. A man and his wife have a terrible argument and their dejected son runs out of the house, crying. Demona remarks that humans can't even live together without fighting; how can they be expected to live peacefully with gargoyles? Finally, Demona shows Brooklyn a crime scene that police are investigating. A chalk outline of a body is drawn on the pavement. A handgun is placed inside an evidence bag. Figures load a corpse wrapped in a sheet into an ambulance. This, says Demona, is how little humans value each others' lives. Still not entirely convinced, Brooklyn points out that Elisa has befriended them, so maybe not all humans are irredeemable. Demona agrees that Elisa may be an exception, but she cannot protect them from all the humans who would not accept the clan. She reminds him that Lexington and Goliath were nearly killed because Lex trusted the Pack. Brooklyn asks her how she knows this, but she ignores the question, instead daring him to reveal himself to the police and paramedics on the ground below if he thinks she is wrong about them. He makes no move and she compliments his decision, telling him the humans would shoot him down like a dog. Still a little hesitant, Brooklyn asks what they can do when Goliath still thinks humans and gargoyles can coexist peacefully in the future. Demona tells Brooklyn to bring her the Grimorum Arcanorum so that she can cast a spell of truth on Goliath and make him see humans for what they are. Brooklyn takes one last saddened look down at the departing paramedics and police before gliding away, and Demona smiles, knowing she's won him over. Brooklyn returns to the castle shortly before dawn. Goliath asks him how the "joyride" went and Brooklyn tells him it was "illuminating". Elisa comes up the stairs and reminds Goliath that Xanatos is due to be released from jail in a month. She still wants them to move and thinks she has found a good location. But Goliath still refuses to have any of it; Xanatos was defeated and the castle belongs to him and his clan. Brooklyn protests that it isn't a sure thing; Xanatos could try to reclaim the castle. Goliath remains firm. They will confront Xanatos again if they have to, but they will not leave. Brooklyn begins to argue, but sunrise prevents him from saying more as they turn to stone and are promptly put to sleep. The sun sets once more that evening and the gargoyles reawaken. Brooklyn turns down an invitation for breakfast with his brothers. He slips into the castle, breaks the lock on the case holding the Grimorum, and steals the book. He flies with it to the Cloisters and tells Demona he will handle bringing Goliath there. She says not to hurry, as the spell is complex and she will need time to study it. Back at the castle, Brooklyn approaches Goliath and tells him about the Cloisters and its medieval style architecture. He offers to show it to Goliath and they glide off together. They land at the Cloisters and Demona steps out from her hiding place. Brooklyn goes to her side and Goliath realizes that he has been betrayed. Act Three Goliath asks Brooklyn what is happening. Brooklyn tells him to listen to Demona. Demona recites the spell and a green fireball shoots from her hand, striking Goliath and enveloping him. Goliath roars in pain then stands awkwardly, his eyes glowing a strange green. Brooklyn is worried, but Demona reassures him that everything is fine. She tells Goliath "humans are our enemies" and Goliath repeats the phrase, devoid of emotion. Brooklyn is horrified at what Demona has done; Goliath is now a mindless slave, which he did not intend to happen. He tries to grab the Grimorum from her. She commands Goliath to stop Brooklyn and he obeys, grabbing the younger gargoyle and allowing Demona to escape. Brooklyn quickly breaks free of Goliath's grasp and tries to reason with his leader. But Goliath can only obey now and pursues Brooklyn. Brooklyn breaks down a door to escape and hides from Demona and the lumbering Goliath. Demona tries to convince Brooklyn that this is the only way to show Goliath the truth about humanity. Brooklyn remains in hiding until he sees an opportunity to approach Goliath alone and try again to reach him. Still in the thrall of the spell, Goliath throws Brooklyn as Demona reappears. Demona starts to cast the spell on Brooklyn, but he knocks the Grimorum out of her hands with his tail. Demona pounces on Brooklyn and retrieves the book, tossing him aside. She commands Goliath to finish Brooklyn, but he does not move. Brooklyn reveals that he has torn out the page containing the spell, so Goliath will obey him now. Brooklyn commands Goliath to get Demona. He obeys, but Demona avoids him and drops a banner over him to slow him down. With the Grimorum in hand, she leaps up to the second story of the Cloisters. Still following orders, Goliath goes after her. Goliath tackles Demona, but they smash through a window to the outside and she escapes again. Goliath continues his pursuit and Brooklyn follows him out the window. Demona tears some pages from the Grimorum, just as Goliath swoops upward and dives down on her. She strikes him with the book and the two crash to the ground. Demona picks up a large boulder and throws it at Goliath. Goliath dodges and the boulder breaks a tree instead. Demona hears a roar and looks up to see Brooklyn flying towards her. She dodges a charging Goliath and runs with the Grimorum to the edge of a cliff. She throws the book towards the water below, forcing Brooklyn to dive down after it instead of chasing her. Brooklyn just manages to catch the Grimorum before it plunges into the water. Demona escapes and Brooklyn leads Goliath home. At the castle, the whole clan and Elisa are gathered at the tower. Brooklyn has been searching through the Grimorum for a counter-spell, but he can't find one. He apologizes to Goliath, unsure if he can hear him. The clan worries that Goliath will remain this way forever if they can't reverse the spell. Then Elisa gets an idea: instead of defeating the spell, they can use the spell in order to break the it. She takes the page with the spell on it from Brooklyn and orders Goliath to act for the rest of his life as if he were not under a spell. The trick works. Goliath is restored to normal and the clan rejoices. Brooklyn gives Elisa the rather backhanded compliment "any species that has you for a member can't be all bad". Brooklyn starts to apologize again, but Goliath says he heard Brooklyn's first one, even if he could not respond to it. Goliath tells Brooklyn that what Demona showed him of humanity was a half truth which Demona has taken as the whole truth. Sunrise is near, so the gargoyles take their positions on the tower. Lexington asks Brooklyn what happened to the bike. Brooklyn admits that it blew up and Lex's horrified reaction is frozen on his face as the sun rises. Cast *Keith David as Goliath *Ed Asner as Hudson *Jeff Bennett as Brooklyn *Thom Adcox-Hernandez as Lexington *Bill Fagerbakke as Broadway *Marina Sirtis as Demona *Salli Richardson as Elisa Maza *Jonathan Frakes as David Xanatos *Frank Welker as Bronx Notes * Though it was implied in Awakening, this is the first episode to stipulate that Demona was not placed under the same curse as the rest of the clan, but instead survived a thousand years by other means. ** Those means are not revealed until the Season 2 four-part episode City of Stone. Trivia *This is the second episode of a triptych featuring each member of the Trio. ** It is proceeded by The Thrill of the Hunt, and followed by Deadly Force. *This episode marks Phil Travanti's first appearance, although he is not named until Clan Building Chapter Three: Invitation Only. References *www.TV.com Memorable Quotes *Brooklyn: Oh, not good. Not good. *Brooklyn: "Any species that has you as a member can't be all bad." *Elisa:"Thanks... I think." *Demona: You don't know the depths to which humanity can sink, my young friend. But I do. Over the centuries I've seen horrors that would blast your soul! Come let me show you what mankind is really like. *Lexington: Hey! What happened to the motorcycle? *Brooklyn: Um... it... blew up. *Lexington: Oh. WHAT? *Demona: she's fighting Goliath who's still under a spell Even with no will of your own, you're a force to be reckoned with. *Demona: Goliath, destroy him! I hold the book, you *must* obey me! *Brooklyn: You hold the book, Demona. But *I* hold the spell! Goliath take her! *Broadway: Isn't it finished yet? *Brooklyn: Come on. You've ridden one before. *Lexington: You've ridden a horse before, could you build one from scratch? *Demona: Don't be afraid. I just want to talk. *Brooklyn: Yeah. Last time we met you just wanted to blow me away with a bazooka. *Demona: That was then. *Brooklyn: This is goodbye. to glide off *Demona: Wait, please! I'm sorry Brooklyn. I know I shouldn't have shot at you. I was crazy with grief and rage. If you only knew what I've gone through for hundreds of years dealing with the humans. *Brooklyn: Hundreds of years. I thought you were under the sleep spell like we were. *Demona: It's a long story. Centuries long. I'd like to tell you about it. If you'll let me. Brooklyn: I don't trust you, Demona. *Brooklyn: But not all humans are like that. Elisa is our friend. *Demona: Perhaps the policewoman is the exception that proves the rule. But can she keep you safe from the rest of humanity? Only we can protect each other, Brooklyn. We must be united and strong. And willing to deal with the humans as they would deal with us! Goliath thinks we can hide amidst the humans and hope for their understanding. This is not possible. *Elisa Maza: Goliath turns to stone That's one way of avoiding a conversation. *Goliath: Demona! So you did survive. *Demona: I *always* survive! Episode Guide Category:Episodes Category:Season 1 Episodes